Australia steps up for climate change resilience

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Posted date:
November 21, 2016 |
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By Nanai Laveitiga Tuiletufuga

A complete opposite to his predecessor, Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull outlined a new additional support package from his government to manage climate change and improve resilience in the Pacific.
The audible message was made without a lot of fanfare, by Prime Minister Turnbull announcement of a small increase in climate related aid for the region during this year’s Pacific Forum Leaders meeting hosted by the Federated State of Micronesia and attended by Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi and his Associate Minister Peseta Vaifou Tevaga.
Turnbull’s announcement comes after the Abbott Government slashed Australia’s foreign aid budget to extremely low levels in 2014.
Said the Australian leader in his announcement;
“Over the next four years we’ll provide AUST $300 million to Pacific Island countries includingAUST $75 million for disaster preparedness.
This is an additional $80 million on the current levels. These investments will be based on Pacific National priorities.”
The Australian leader assured the Pacific Forum Leaders that his administration will engage closely with the Forum “on what is most critical now to your countries and will be supported by our overall Overseas Development Aid programs that are increasingly climate-smart.”
“ We will also continue to work to secure a substantial share of Green Climate Fund resources for the Pacific, Australia as you know has committed $200 million to the Green Climate Fund over four years and co-chairs the Green Climate Fund board in 2016,” added Prime Minister Turnbull.
Local political observers in the wake of the announcement hail the change of attitude from Canberra noting that the early signs from Prime Minister Turnbull are good.
The observers noted that the money might be dismissed as a gesture by those who demand that Australia cut deeper into its own emissions and end coal mining, but it was well received by the forum’s leaders.
“But it’s clear that Australia can do far more to increase the scale and accessibility of funding for the region and must substantially increase its pollution reduction targets,” said one observer.
“Australia’s current targets are woefully inadequate and risk a future of increasing hardship for the Pacific.
“The countries of the Pacific might be small, but 11 of them have ambassadors at the United Nations and there every vote on the general assembly floor is equal. Those votes were lost to other, more attentive, less demanding suitors.”